We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Iris Scott a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Iris, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

The first dollar I received on an artwork is actually $50. It was a watercolor I had made in high school. My english teacher had seen it and inquired if she could buy it. I was blown away by the question. I still remember the crisp check with her name and my name on it. I was hooked.

Iris, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I became a full-time oil painter in 2006. I work across a wide range of subjects because I like to keep things varied and surprising. My original artworks are available on canvas, and I also offer prints.

In 2011, around the time I painted a now-iconic image of a wet dog mid-shake, my work went viral—and everything changed. What set me apart was my technique: I paint entirely with my fingertips, using oil paints. There was something irresistibly shareable about a woman making vivid, detailed oil paintings with her hands. The story spread on its own, powered by the rise of social media.

I’m especially proud of the six years I spent in New York City, where I showed my work and built a collector base around the world. It was an exhilarating way to spend my late twenties and early thirties.

Now I live and work in a remote corner of New Mexico with my daughter and husband.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I think NFT’s are a blip. I think they’re much like a pyramid scheme. Stay away from them.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

For very young children I think we could do much more to support them. Kids are not interested in abstract expressionism by and large. They’re intrinsically motivated to learn how do draw things realistically and I wish we had been encouraged more to copy/emulate and measure. There’s so much to be gained from mimicry. Unfortunately I think there’s far too much pressure on children for them to make expressive artwork, or to “be original” . This emphasis on originality probably trickles down from the contemporary art world, and I just feel like it fails to deliver the instruction kids crave. When I was little I just wanted somebody to help me make my drawing look less babyish. Instead I would be told things like “I can’t draw a stick figure,” or “I love how expressive your drawing is right now, it’s perfect as is.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://irisscott.com
• Instagram: @irisscottart
• Facebook: @irisfingerpaintings
• Twitter: @irisscottart

Image Credits

not applicable